Tour Survival For Dummies

So we're at the stage of the season where it's make or break for some players. The pressure is enormous going into the World Championships and Qualifiers for most players. 'Am I going to be going to Prestatyn next season?' 'What round will I be starting?' 'Am I going to be playing Snooker next season?' The List goes on and on. But fear not confused people! Snooker Sceney is here to help you, or your favourite player, stay on the Tour.

THE RANKINGS

What you do next season depends on your Rankings at the end of the year. You can view your current position going into the World's here.

What Positions do what then? Well here's the guide.

No.1: You are the best in the whole wide world. (Example: Ronnie O'Sullivan)

No. 2-16: You don't have to play in the qualifiers. (Example: Mark Selby)

No. 17-32: You only have to play 1 qualifier. (Example: Matthew Stevens)

No. 33-48: You only have to play 2 qualifiers. (Example: Michael Holt)

No. 49-64: You only have to play 3 qualifiers. (Example: Mark Davis)

No. 65-96: Explained Later...

Top 16

So you're a top player eh? You reckon you can join Snooker's Elite? Well, Good Luck! Because it's tough. Those on the outskirts or just inside need to get to at least the quarters of both the remaining tournaments to be safe. It's tight, but the rewards are awesome, Money, TV Appearances. It can be stressful with Mark Allen being reduced to tears after losing to Stephen Hendry which blew his chances of a place, only for results to go his way and he finished 16th.

In at the moment but need to watch out: 

Stephen Hendry

Ding Junhui

Mark Williams

Barry Hawkins

Dave Harold

In with a shout:

Peter Ebdon

Mark King

Stuart Bingham

Joe Swail

Jamie Cope

Outsiders:

Matthew Stevens

Ricky Walden

Steve Davis

Michael Holt

Judd Trump

Top 32 & Top 48

Securing a place in one of these is very important, even if it doesn't seem like it. These determine how many qualifiers you have to play and help your chances of qualifying for events.

Top 32:

In at the moment but need to watch out:

Liang Wenbo

Dominic Dale

Fergal O'Brien

Anthony Hamilton

Ian McCulloch

In with a shout:

Michael Judge

Nigel Bond

Gerard Greene

Graeme Dott

Adrian Gunnel

Outsiders:

Ken Doherty

Mike Dunn

Rory McLeod

Mark Davis

Dave Gilbert

Top 48:

In at the moment but need to watch out:

Alan McManus

Barry Pinches

Jimmy Michie

Jamie Burnett

Stuart Pettman

In with a shout:

Andrew Higginson

Tom Ford

Martin Gould

John Parrot

Jimmy White

Outsiders:

Paul Davies

Andy Hicks

Mark Joyce

Robert Milkins

David Roe

Tour Survival:

This is where it gets desperate, with around 40 players slugging it out to keep their careers going. The aim, Top 64. It can get close, for example Li Hang and Peter Lines are tied on 64th on 10288 points at the moment, there can be hardly any difference between staying on at Snooker or possibly changing career.

If you don't make it to the Top 64, don't go signing up for the PIOS or looking in the Job section of your local newspaper just yet. There could still be hope! As well as the Top 64, you can stay on Tour by coming in the Top-8 in the One-Year-List of the remaining players. Complicated, I know but it's how Jimmy White stayed on the Tour last year. It helps the new players who didn't get many points at the start of the year. 

In at the moment but need to watch out:

Liu Song

Ian Preece

Matthew Selt

Joe Delany 

Li Hang

In with a shout:

Peter Lines

David Gray

Jin Long

Daniel Wells

Vincent Muldoon 

Outsiders:

Aditya Mehta

Kuldesh Johal

Stefan Marzocis

Liu Chuang

Scott Mackenzie

The Wildcard(s)

So you've tried your hardest but you're not on the Tour next season, but there is one LAST hope, World Snooker give 1 (or possibly 2 this season) places to a player who they think deserve to be on the Tour. Last Year it was Liu Chuang after his stunning run to the Crucible, this year, who knows?

Contenders:

Tony Drago - Everyone loves him.

Tony Knowles - Currently doing superbly at the World's Qualifiers and if he gets far then who knows?

A German - Who's Good.

Me - I'm Good.

Michael Georgiou - He won a grand total of 0 matches this year, but as he's a 'Hotshot', World Snooker might not want to lose him.

So there we have it, I hope you now have a clearer understanding of the complicated process. Good Luck!